Search for answers continues in Celina Cass case

Mother says girl's killer still out there

The last time Celina Cass was seen alive, she was in the house she shared with her mother, sister and new stepfather. A year later, new tenants live in the house, a contentious divorce is under way, and no one knows who killed Celina or why.

On July 26, 2011, word started to trickle down from the North Country that a girl was missing.

"All leads are being followed," said Lt. Douglas Gralenski of the Fish and Game Department during the search. "We don't know if it is suspicious. We just don't know what the situation is."

Within 24 hours, the Fish and Game Department, Border Patrol and state police were combing the region and organizing search teams to find the 11-year-old, who was last seen by her mother on the family computer the night she disappeared.

On Aug. 1, dive teams pulled Celina's body out of the depths of the Connecticut River.

"It's almost a year, and the person's still out there," said her mother, Louisia Noyes.

"The investigation remains active and ongoing," said Senior Assistant Attorney General Jane Young. "There are three state investigators assigned to this case."

Noyes still uses her married name, but she separated from her new husband, Wendell Noyes, during the week that her daughter was missing.

"He drives by my house at least four times a day," she said.

No suspect or person of interest has been named in the case. According to Tomie Noyes, Wendell Noyes' mother, she, along with Wendell Noyes, his sister and his brother, were called to testify before a grand jury in January.

In an exclusive interview with News 9 two months after Celina was killed, Wendell Noyes expressed concern for his stepdaughter.

"I care," he said. "And I'd like to know who's responsible. Who killed her. Somebody killed her. I haven't got a clue. And I can search you right in the eyes and tell you the truth. I haven't got a clue."

Louisia Noyes was not called to testify before the grand jury, but she said she took and passed a three-and-a-half-hour lie detector test.

"They told me 'that girl.' 'Did you have anything to do with that girl's murder or her disappearance?'" Louisia Noyes said. "'That girl.' That girl is my daughter. Her name is Celina."

Wendell and Louisia Noyes had been married nine months when Celina disappeared, but they lived together for a couple of years before the wedding. Celina and her older sister, Kayla, knew Wendell Noyes well, and Louisia Noyes said their family life was wonderful.

Now, she said, her life has fallen apart. She said she's being evicted and doesn't know where she will live.

Kayla has just finished eighth grade. She and Celina shared a bedroom in the basement, but Kayla was at a friend's house the night Celina disappeared.

Kayla said she believes Celina might have been sleeping on the couch the night she disappeared because she didn't like to sleep in the basement by herself.

Wendell Noyes lives alone in a basement apartment a mile from the duplex where Louisia Noyes and Kayla live in Vermont.

According to police records, in 2003, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and committed to a hospital. Louisia Noyes said he took medication daily for his condition.

He drove past four times during News 9's interview with her, but he wouldn't respond to texts or calls requesting a follow-up interview. He drives a black Jetta now. Investigators still have his pickup truck.

"We have a number of pieces of evidence in this case that we've re-examined again," Young said. "As I've indicated, there are additional testing that can be done. We have a number of pieces of evidence that we have kept and will continue to keep."

Louisia Noyes said she's frustrated by the lack of information investigators share with her. She said she never saw her daughter's body.

"They just showed me a pair of her pajamas and a pair of her underwear and asked me if those were hers," she said.

"Our goal is to get to a resolution," Young said. "As I indicated, this case was never going to be a sprint. This case is a marathon. There a number of witnesses. Celina was missing more than a week. She was submerged in water. That poses challenges to the investigation."

Kevin Mullaney, who Kayla said is like a brother to her, was living with the Noyes' and told News 9 last fall he was the last one to come home the night Celina vanished. His truck was towed away during the investigation, but it was returned a short while later. Mullaney is currently at the state prison in Berlin on forgery and theft convictions.

Louisia Noyes said she visits her daughter's grave three or four times a month. She said it helps her feel close to Celina.

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